With Mick Roberts. Est. Online 2000

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Three shifts a day in bed

A busy Crown Street, Wollongong in the mid 1930s, when accomodation was at a shortage.

ALL the situations conceived by Gilbert and Sullivan in their libretto, “Box and Cox,” have been brought on to the stage of real life at Wollongong, rejuvenated city of steel and coal on the South Coast of New South Wales.

Flooded with a new population of workers employed in their thousands by the rapidly expand-ing steel works and subsidiary in-dustries of the adjoining Port Kembla, Wollongong is suffering from such an acute shortage of beds that it has produced not one Box and Cox, but hundreds.

IT was revealed to “Smith’s Weekly” that not only are some of the workers “double-banking” in beds, but, in cases, three men are using the beds in shifts over the 24 hours. A representative of “Smith’s,” on an assignment to the South Coast last week, dropped into Wollongong, unaware of the accommodation shortage, and this was his experience.

About 10pm he decided to take a room at an hotel, but a round of the leading hotels resulted in nothing but an apology from proprietors, apparently astonished at the existence of such an optimist. From the last hotel, “Smith’s” was directed to a boarding-house, where the landlady offered a bed on condition that it should not be used be used before 11.30pm – as one of the “steelies” was sleeping out his shift. It was a further condition that the bed should be vacated by 7am, so that another home-coming worker should be accommodated.

Offered undoubtedly in the friendliest spirit, “Smith’s” representative was impelled to decline it. Out on the foot-path he met one of the “Boxes” or “Coxes” of the show. He said that the place contained 15 rooms, and that there were 53 men living there. In another place, he said, five men were sleeping in a garage with no light. For their board the men were paying up to 30/- a week, and the landladies offered them a special inducement of 5/- a week reduction to go home to mother at the weekend, where that was possible. It was only through a thousand-to-one chance of meeting a personal friend that “Smith’s” man finally got a real bed with no proviso.

Miners and steelworkers have been forced to solve their accommodation problem by going far out of Wollongong, and now some of them are living as far as 25 miles from their work at Port Kembla. To catch the shifts for these men, the Railway Department is run-ning special trains from as far north as Scarborough. Houses for private families are a practical impossibility except for those able to pay big rents, and many, well-placed people on the Coast are sharing their homes.

The hotels of Wollongong are very modern, and when accommodation can be obtained it is of a very high order, but the situation must be eased both for the travelling public and residents. It is understood that the State Government has been stirred into activity, and the Licensing Board will investigate the situation as the first move. But even at the rate that building is progressing, it will be a long time be-fore the Boxes and Coxes cease their 24-hour testing of Wollongong’s boarding house beds.

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PUB BOOK – IDEAL GIFT

THE LOCAL, A History of Hotels and the Liquor Industry in the Far Northern Illawarra of NSW, by Mick Roberts is selling fast with less than 20 copies available. The 115 page glossy page book features histories of pubs in Helensburgh, Clifton, Scarborough and Austinmer. The book has now SOLD OUT. Copies may be found at Wollongong Library.

BULLI BRIEFS

UNUSUAL FALL

SYDNEY. January 3.
Mr. T. Freeman, electrical engineer
for the Bulli Shire, while staying at
a hotel at Moss Vale, mistook French window for a doorway at
night, stepped out, and he fell 20
feet to the paved yard below. His
thigh was fractured in five places.
His condition is serious.
- The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA) Wednesday 4 January 1933

MISSING DUNNY

In these days of fuel scarcity, food and clothing rationing, many things are stolen, but probably one of the strangest thefts was the one reported to the Bulli Shire Council on Monday night by the South Thirroul Surf Life Saving Club, who reported that the lavatories at the beach had been pulled down and stolen during the winter."
- Illawarra Mercury Friday 10 December 1943.

SOMEBODY’S BLUNDER

A colossal stack of coal, estimated to contain 65,000 tons has been lying at Bulli since 1917. It is deteriorating and has probably lost 65 per cent of its value. No one definitely knows who owns it, but it is believed to have been bought by Mr. Hughes for the Commonwealth, at a cost of £100,000.
- Geraldton Guardian (WA) Thursday 24 January 1924.

BELLAMBI COAL

BULLI, Friday - The shipments of coal from Port Bellambi last week totalled 3750 tons. Of this quantity 550 tons went to Victoria, 250 tons to New Zealand, and the balance to Sydney.
- Sydney Evening News Saturday 5 December 1896.

BULLI NEW HALL

Bulli, Tuesday.
The splendid new hall recently erected by the Odd fellows was opened, last evening, by the Lynch Family of Bellringers, who afforded a musical treat. The building was densely packed, fully 700 persons being present. The hall is a very fine one, and quite a credit to the district.
- Sydney Evening News Wednesday 20 January 1886.

BULLI SOIL

Over 160 bags of Bulli soil was shipped at the [Bulli] jetty on Monday last to be used for
the Melbourne Cricket Ground pitch. This soil was selected out of many samples forwarded from other parts of the State.
- Illawarra Mercury Saturday 21 March 1903

TELEGRAPH ARRIVES

BULLI. Wednesday.
The telegraph to Clifton village, at Coal Cliff, was completed last night, and a message sent through this morning to Electric Telegraph Department in Sydney.
- The Maitland Mercury Saturday 27 April 1878.

PROGRESSIVE BULLI

A record building year was experienced in the Shire during 1927, when 125 new buildings,
valued at £60,496, were erected, and additions numbering 97, with a value of £39,344, were also constructed. In addition to these amounts Public school buildings are being built at a cost of £18,000.
- The Sydney Morning Herald Tuesday 17 January 1928

FLOWER PICKING FINES

At Bulli Court today 19 persons, all from the metropolitian area,were fined for picking Christmas bells on Crown land, near top of Bulli Pass during Christmas week. Evidence was given that defendants were caught with from 12 to 100 bells in their possession. The fines ranged from £1 to £2. Many of the defendants stated that they did not know they were offending. Mr. Hardwick, S.M., advised them to read the newspapers.
- The Sydney Morning Herald Saturday 29 January 1938.

BOYS BRAVERY

A verdict of accidental death was returned by the Bulli Coroner, Mr.
Keegan, to-day, at the inquiry into the death of Mrs. Florence Angwin, and her son and daughter, Francis, 8, and Lola, 6, who were drowned at Helensburgh on Boxing Day. The Coroner congratulated Hugh and Alexander Blair for the bravery they
displayed in going to the rescue. He expressed the opinion that their action should be recognised by the Royal Humane Society.
- Daily Examiner (Grafton, NSW) Friday 17 January 1936.

HEALTHY BULLI

INFECTIOUS DISEASED
Lowest On Record
IN BULLI SHIRE
With only nine cases of infectious disease during the year the Bulli Shire has constituted a record for the thirty six years of Its existence.
Two cases of scarlet fever were reported last month, making five case for the year; there were two cases' of diphtheria, one of which was a visitor from the metropolitan area, and had been contracted before the sufferer visited the Shire. There was one case of meningitis' and one of puerperal fever. The report was received with satisfaction.
- Illawarra Mercury Thursday 24 December 1942.

HURLED 20 FEET

After receiving, a shock from a high-tension wire, Herbert Ashford, of Bulli, was hurled 20 feet. He suffered only severe shock, Ashford took shelter in an iron shed while men digging a pipe line fired; a charge of explosive. A stone from the charge brought down a high-tension wire, which fell against the shed. Ashford, who was leaning against the shed, was thrown out of
the door on to the road.
- Albury Banner Friday 23 December 1938.

Gaming Raids

Members of the CIB vice squad, under Inspector Crothers, raided billiard saloons at Coledale, Thirroul, Bulli, and Austinmer on Friday night and arrested five men on charges of managing and conducting common gaming houses. The police seized 17 poker machines. The men will appear at the Bulli Court next Friday. - Sunday Herald (Sydney) Sunday 3 June 1951.

Bulli Pass Pavilion

'Traveller' writes: The pavilion
recently erected at the "Look-out", instead of answering the purpose intended is the common resort of tramps, whose ideas of tidiness are very small, consequently what was intended as a public boon to sightseers is now neither use nor ornament. - Illawarra Mercury Saturday 21 March 1903.

Dirty Deed

RECENTLY it was stated that one
of the new doors at the lavatories
at Wentworth Oval, Portland, had
been taken away by some un-authorised person. At South Thirroul, on the Illawarra Line, they go even further. Probably one of the strangest thefts was the one reported at last meeting of Bulli Shire Council by the Thirroul Life Saving Club that the lavatories at the beach had been pulled down, and stolen during the winter. - Mudgee Guardian Thursday 6 January 1944.

Unusual Operation

THE Sydney Hospital dealt with an unusual case yesterday, when half a set of false teeth was removed from the stomach of Samuel Fielding, of Woonona, near Bulli. Fielding went to sleep with his false teeth in his mouth on Saturday night, and during the night the plate cracked, and half the set slipped down his throat. Fielding does not know whether he will risk settlng another set. - Daily Standard (Brisbane, Qld) Thursday 17 February 1927

Feathered Patient

OFFICERS of Bulli Ambulance Station recently had
an unusual "patient"
when a champion pigeon
was brought to them by
its owner, Mr L. Strachan of Bulli, for treatment.
The unfortunate bird was
badly gashed when it dived
at high speed into a prong
of the television aerial on
Mr. Strachan's home.
The owner, wishing to
save his champion, took it to Bulli Ambulance Station, where officers inserted 22 stitches in the wound. After stitching, the bird seemed to be doing quite well but unfortantely later died, probaly from shock. - Western Herald (Bourke, NSW) Friday 29 October 1965

Big Bullocky at Bulli

ANOTHER big bullock, purchased as a prize winner at Sydney Show, was this week served up to customers at Floyd's butcher shop (corner Park Road and Main Road), Bulli. Mr. Jack Floyd surprised several by carrying from the cart to the block a forequarter, which weighed 440 lbs. - Illawarra Mercury Friday 1 May 1925.

Drunk & Disorderly

Elwyn Hale Broad, Joseph Cassidy and Edward Laughlin were each
charged with being drunk and disorderly in main road, Bulli, on October 26th. They pleaded guilty.
Sergeant Newland said the men
were arrested on the verandah of the Bulli Family Hotel. They were
wrestling with one another. Cassidy and Laughlin were each fined 10/- or 24 hours, and Broad £1 or two days. - South Coast Times Friday 1 November 1935.

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